Systems and methods for wireless communication in ride attractions

ABSTRACT

A system includes an attraction vehicle in an attraction. The attraction vehicle includes one or more sensors configured to measure one or more parameters pertaining to the attraction. The system also includes a network interface configured to transmit information related to the one or more parameters wirelessly using outgoing signals in a first high-frequency band and to receive incoming information at the attraction vehicle wirelessly using incoming signals using a second high-frequency band. The system also includes a controller configured to operate the attraction vehicle based at least in part on the incoming information.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.63/334,675, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION INRIDE ATTRACTIONS,” filed Apr. 26, 2022, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects ofart that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques,which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed tobe helpful in providing the reader with background information tofacilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statementsare to be read in this light and not as admissions of prior art.

Amusement parks and other entertainment venues contain experiences(e.g., ride vehicle experiences, animated figures (e.g., roboticcharacters), scenes, attractions, and the like) to entertain parkguests. As the experiences become more technologically advanced andcomplex, the components within the experience may benefit from robustmonitoring and synchronization using wireless communication. However,within the confines of the experiences, the wireless communicationmechanism may experience interference when using traditional wirelesscommunication techniques that are also available to consumers.Additionally, multiple locations (e.g., scenes) may transmit informationfor that specific location. However, wireless signals intended for usewith a respective location may inadvertently interfere and/or invokeactions in other locations or vice versa.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the originally claimedsubject matter are summarized below. These embodiments are not intendedto limit the scope of the disclosure, but rather, these embodiments areintended only to provide a brief summary of certain disclosedembodiments. Indeed, the present disclosure may encompass a variety offorms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forthbelow.

In an embodiment, a system includes an attraction vehicle in anattraction. The attraction vehicle includes one or more sensorsconfigured to measure one or more parameters pertaining to theattraction. The system also includes a network interface configured totransmit information related to the one or more parameters wirelesslyusing outgoing signals in a first high-frequency band and to receiveincoming information at the attraction vehicle wirelessly using incomingsignals using a second high-frequency band. The system also includes acontroller configured to operate the attraction vehicle based at leastin part on the incoming information.

In an embodiment, a system includes a network interface configured toreceive and transmit high-speed signals in a high-frequency band from anattraction vehicle in an attraction. The system also includes one ormore processors configured to control one or more objects in theattraction by transmitting a control signal based at least in part onthe signals transmitted from the attraction vehicle.

In an embodiment, a method includes measuring one or more parameters ofoperation of an attraction vehicle travelling within an attraction usingone or more sensors on the attraction vehicle. The method also includestransmitting outgoing information from the attraction vehicle to anetwork of access points. The outgoing information is related to the oneor more parameters and is transmitted wirelessly using outgoing signalsin a first high-frequency band. The method also includes receivingincoming information at the attraction vehicle wirelessly using incomingsignals using a second high-frequency band. The incoming information isbased at least in part on signals from another attraction vehicle in theattraction that are transmitted wirelessly to the network of accesspoints. Furthermore, the method includes operating the attractionvehicle based at least in part on the incoming information and the oneor more parameters.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood when the following detaileddescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichlike characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system including a sensor network and oneor more electronic devices, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an experience/attraction in which the system ofFIG. 1 may be utilized, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a system of unlinked localizedsensor networks of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a network of interconnectedlocalized sensors and devices, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a graphical view of the attraction that includes multiplescenes or experiences within the attraction, in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a process utilizing wireless communicationsof the system of FIG. 1 using high-frequency bands from the perspectiveof an attraction vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a process utilizing wireless communicationsof the system of FIG. 1 using high-frequency bands from the perspectiveof a network of access points in the attraction, in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed below. In an effort to provide a concise description of theseembodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not bedescribed in the specification. It should be appreciated that in thedevelopment of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering ordesign project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be madeto achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance withsystem-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from oneimplementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that sucha development effort might be complex and time consuming but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, andmanufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of thisdisclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean thereare one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,”and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may beadditional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, itshould be understood that references to “an embodiment” of the presentdisclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existenceof additional embodiments that also include recited features.Furthermore, the word “or” is intended to be an inclusive term. Forexample, unless explicitly stated otherwise, “A or B” is intended tomean A or B or both A and B.

Theme parks and other such entertainment venues are becomingincreasingly popular. Further, immersive experiences within suchentertainment venues are in high demand To provide new and excitingexperiences/attractions ride experiences and scenes have becomeincreasingly complex. These scenes may include visual shows includinglive action, animated figures, electronic-display-based imagery, and thelike. These scenes may also involve integration of lighting, sound,movement, interactive elements, visual media, and so on. Accordingly,the components within the attraction may benefit from monitoring usingwireless signals. This monitoring may be used to initiate or synchronizeaction in the scenes based on a moving vehicle. The moving vehicle maybe a ride vehicle on which guests ride, drones, robots, or othervehicles that may move about an attraction. Furthermore, the monitoringmay be used for a ride safety system that includes a programmable logiccontroller (PLC) to use data from the wireless signals to turn certaintags on or off depending on the signals. Additionally or alternatively,the monitoring may include watchdog software or hardware to trackpositioning of moving vehicles in the experience to make sure thatvehicles do not collide in the experience. The position tracking maytrack the moving vehicles in two or three dimensions. The positiontracking may also include tracking rotation of the moving vehicles. Theposition tracking may be used to control shell doors between scenes toblock sounds between scenes. For instance, the shell door may open whenthe tracked location approaches the shell door and may close once thetracked location has passed a certain distance away from the shell door.

In the ride experience setting, wireless communication may be subject torelatively large amounts of interference in widely available consumerfrequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz) due to the proliferation ofconsumer devices operating in those frequency bands. Additionally, thesefrequency bands are available to consumers due to relatively robustability to penetrate objects (e.g., walls, etc.) and to be broadcastover relatively large distances (e.g., more than 800 feet). However, theability to penetrate objects may cause wireless signals to bleed betweenscenes in the experience. Additionally, the relatively large distancescovered by consumer frequency bands may cause bleed between scenes asscenes may be considerably smaller than the broadcast range of devicesusing the consumer frequency bands. To mitigate these issues, rideexperiences may use relatively high frequency bands (e.g., 60-80 GHz,outside of and above the 5 GHz consumer bands, etc.) that are not assuitable for consumer devices due to extremely short transmissionlengths compared to common consumer wireless bands that are relativelylow (e.g., 2.4 or 5 GHz). Specifically, the short transmission lengthsmay be due to the relatively high frequency signal's particularsusceptibility to dropoffs due to elevated moisture and/or oxygen (02)absorption. Specifically, at such high frequencies (e.g., greater than50 GHz), atmospheric absorption is much greater than at the lower rates(e.g., less than 10 GHz). For instance, signals using a 60 GHz frequencyband may have up to 98% of its transmitted energy absorbed byatmospheric oxygen. The absorption rates may be further impacted bymoisture levels in the air. For instance, in regions with higher heavierrain, the transmission distances are even more greatly reduced.Regardless of deployed location, the high frequency wireless signals mayhave short transmission distances. Additionally, the high frequencywireless signals may require line-of-sight (LoS) between transmittersand receivers since high frequency wireless signals cannot penetratewalls efficiently. The limited range and LoS requirements may limitconnectivity in some respects, but the limited range and LoSrequirements also provide a convenient mechanism for bounding regionswhere the wireless communications are to occur.

For instance, in certain buildings, the walls, the ceiling, and/or thefloor may function like a faraday cage to block out wirelesscommunication signals from outside of the building. This blockage maywork to block transmissions to and from consumer devices. This blockagemay be more severe for signals having higher frequencies (e.g., 60-80GHz). As such, an attraction may be placed in such a structure to reducenoise in the high frequency ranges relative to consumer frequencies of2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. This may be used to virtually isolate the attractionvehicles from noise outside of the attraction. Furthermore, walls in thestructure may be used to isolate wireless communications to and from theattraction vehicles to keep them from interfering with each other.

With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 inaccordance with the present disclosure. The system 100 may be a wirelesscommunication system used to wirelessly communicate in a theme parkattraction. As illustrated, the system 100 includes an electronic device102, which may be in the form of any suitable electronic computingdevice, such as a computer, a laptop, a personal computer, server,mobile computing device, a smartphone, a tablet, a wearable device, orany other computing device. The electronic device 102 may include acontroller 104 that includes one or more processors 106. The controller104 of the electronic device 102 may also include one or more memoryand/or storage devices 108. The one or more processors 106 may include amicroprocessor, a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, ageneral processor, a special-purpose processor, a programmable logicdevice (e.g., a field-programmable gate array or an application-specificintegrated circuit), a programmable logic controller, another processor,or any combination thereof. For instance, the one or more processors 106may include one or more reduced instruction set (RISC) processors, suchas an ARM processor. The one or more processors 106 may executeinstructions stored in the one or more memory and/or storage devices 108to perform operations related to the data transmitted to and/or from anattraction vehicle. In some embodiments, the one or more processors 106may implement, may be, and/or may include a controller, such as aprogrammable logic controller (PLC), a proportional-integral-derivative(PID) controller, or other suitable controller. For instance, thecontroller may be attached to the rest of the electronic device 102 as achip or expansion card using corresponding connection types.

The one or more memory devices 108 may store information such as controlsoftware, look up tables, configuration data, sensor data, and so on. Insome embodiments, the one or more processors 106 and/or the one or morememory devices 108 may be external to the controller 104 and/or theelectronic device 102. The one or more memory devices 108 may include atangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium, such as a volatilememory (e.g., a random-access memory (RAM)) and/or a nonvolatile memory(e.g., a read-only memory (ROM)). The one or more memory devices 108 maystore a variety of information and may be used for various purposes. Forexample, the one or more memory devices 108 may store machine-readableand/or processor-executable instructions (e.g., firmware or software)for the one or more processors 106 to execute, such as instructions fordetermining a likelihood that an individual's future income and/orexpenditure may change and adjusting the individual's financial planningaccordingly. The one or more memory devices 108 may include one or morestorage devices (e.g., nonvolatile storage devices) that may includeread-only memory (ROM), flash memory, a hard drive, or any othersuitable optical, magnetic, or solid-state storage medium, or acombination thereof.

In some embodiments, the electronic device 102 may also include anelectronic display 110 that enables graphical and/or visual output to bedisplayed to a user. The electronic display 110 may use any suitabledisplay technology, and may include an electroluminescent (ELD) display,liquid crystal (LCD) display, light-emitting diode (LED) display,organic LED (OLED) display, active-matrix OLED display, plasma displaypanel (PDP), quantum dot LED (QLED) display, and so on.

As illustrated, the electronic device 102 may include a data acquisitionsystem (DAQ) 112 to send and receive information to and from a sensornetwork 120 of electronic sensors. For example, the electronic device102 may include a communication interface that enables the controller104 to communicate with servers and/or other computing resources of thesensor network 120 via a communication mechanism. For instance, thecommunication mechanism may include a wireless communication system thatincludes one or more antennas and one or more transceivers to send andreceive data over high-speed wireless signal (e.g., between 60 GHz and80 GHz). In some embodiments, the wireless communication system may beused to communicate over networks (e.g., a mobile communication network,a WiFi network, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), theInternet, and the like) in addition to the high-speed wireless signals.In some cases, at least a portion of the information received from thesensor network 120 may be downloaded and stored on the memory or storagedevices 108 of the electronic device 102. The sensor network 120 mayinclude ultraviolet sensors 122, infrared sensors 124, vibration sensors126, imaging sensors 128, audio sensors 130, biometric sensors 132,positioning (e.g., global positioning system and/or motion sensors)sensors 134, orientation (e.g., an accelerometer and/or a gyroscope)sensors 136, and so on. While the preceding collection of sensors areillustrated in FIG. 1 , it should be noted that any other appropriatesensor, such as an accelerometer, a speed sensor, a torque sensor, apressure sensor, a humidity sensor, an x-ray sensor, and so on may beemployed in the system 100. In some embodiments, at least a portion ofthe sensor network 120 may be located on an attraction vehicle todetermine information about the vehicle, the passengers, adirection/speed of travel of the vehicle, and other information.Furthermore, the attraction vehicle may have an instance of theelectronic device 102 on the attraction vehicle that utilizes a wirelesscommunication system 114 to communicate with another instance of theelectronic device 102 (e.g., an attraction control computingdevice/server). In some embodiments, the computing device 102 on theattraction vehicle may include fewer components than the illustratedcomputing device 102 and may include part or all of the sensor network120.

The sensor network 120 may enable the system 100 to collect and/or sharean expansive amount of data regarding an amusement park attraction, suchthat the system 100 may obtain a fine-grain view of the various aspectsof and components within the system 100. For example, positioningsensors, and orientation (e.g., accelerometer and/or gyroscope) sensorsmay be used to determine where ride vehicles are and what directionsthey are facing. For instance, the direction of travel and the directionwhich the seats are facing may be different and tracked separately. Thelocation may be used to open and shut doors and/or generally preventcollisions between the vehicle and other objects, such as doors, walls,and/or moving objects (e.g., other vehicles). The location may also beused to initiate scenes based on a vehicle entering a scene or resettinga scene upon a vehicle leaving the scene. The positioning sensors may beused to make sure that the vehicle is viewing the proper location withina scene at the proper time. Additionally or alternatively, an infraredsensor 124 may detect whether the wheels or motor of a ride vehicle areemitting heat beyond a heat threshold and, if so, may trigger a warning(e.g., via the controller 104) to technical operators, disable the ridevehicle, or take any other appropriate action. The sensor network 120may also enable the system 100 to address more qualitative issues in anamusement park attraction. For example, a lightbulb of a set oflightbulbs may burn out during a show or scene, negatively impacting thequality of a user's experience. However, if a camera or other imagingsensor (e.g., 128) detects a difference (e.g., a deviation from apredetermined profile) in the lighting of the scene, the electronicdevice 102 may cause the brightness or direction of other lightbulbs inthe set of lightbulbs to adjust to compensate for the malfunctioninglightbulb. Further, the sensor network 120 may enable the system 100 todetect qualitative deviations such as a guest being in an area that theguest is not expected to be in. Upon making this determination, thesystem 100 may alert a technical operator or take other correctiveaction (e.g., stopping or pausing operation of the experience).

In addition to the sensor network 120, the DAQ 112 may collect web data138 using software applications such as web crawlers to obtaininformation regarding anomalies or other issues within an attraction.For example, if a scene experiences an issue that may not be easilydetected by sensors (e.g., an animated character's wig falls off orotherwise experiences a costume malfunction), a guest may notice theissue and post about the issue on social media. The DAQ 112 may detect,via the web crawler, the social media post and may trigger an alert. Theattraction vehicle or scene may be adjusted using this information. Forinstance, the scene/attraction vehicle may incorporate real-time and/ornear-real-time data (e.g., video captured from another location).

FIG. 2 illustrates an experience 300 in which the system 100 may beutilized, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Theexperience may feature a ride vehicle 310 equipped with a positioningsensor 134 and an orientation sensor 136, an animated FIG. 312 ,environmental components 314 (e.g., a fan to simulate wind blowing onthe guests, a fire, etc.), audio equipment 306, set lights 302, an audiosensor 130, a temperature sensor 304, imaging sensors 128 (e.g., acamera or other imaging sensors), various DAQs 112 to collect and sharedata (e.g., at least partially over a wireless network using high-speedsignals) with other sensors and electronic devices 102 (e.g.,communication hubs), and so on. The animated FIG. 312 may have multipleactuators to enable movement of the animated FIG. 312 . The actuators ofthe animated FIG. 312 may be equipped with various sensors such astorque sensors, pressure sensors, temperatures sensors, gyroscopes, andso on. Additionally, or alternatively, the animated FIG. 312 may bepresented at least partially using a video display. Additionally, theguests may wear biometric sensors 132 to permit monitoring of certainbiometric data and/or to track movement of the users.

The experience 300 may undergo several cycles under normal operatingconditions (e.g., as verified by a human technical operator) in order toobtain this data. For example, the cycling may include movement of aride vehicle experience to determine proper triggering and response inorder to verify that that not only is the ride vehicle experienceoperating as per the original creative intent but that the ride vehicleexperience is responsive to the guest presence and/or precise locationas intended. Upon collecting a sufficient amount of data, one or moreelectronic devices 102 may begin collecting, processing, and labellingthe data. Based on the results of the processing and labelling phase,the one or more electronic devices 102 may determine and encode theparameters of a normally functioning experience.

The experience may be cycled repeatedly to enable learning additionalaspects and parameters of the observed experience. For example, theremay be a processing pass in which lighting color and intensity (e.g.,detected via the imaging sensors 128 or the set lights 302) is learnedand stored across the system 100. By sampling the experience 300frame-by-frame over known time units, the system 100 may ascertainwhether the set lights 302 are functioning properly to specification andare aimed as intended. The system 100 may detect anomalies such asflickering, outages, degradation or timing and triggering errors.Another processing pass may determine whether the animated FIG. 312 ,environmental components 314 and/or other action equipment aretriggering properly, moving within expected motion profiles, anddetermine where and when motion is expected to appear under normalconditions.

Based on the obtained information, the one or more electronic devices102 may generate profiles of the experience 300 based on the receivedsensor data. The profiles may include a baseline and a thresholdindicating an expected range of the characteristics or aspects of theexperience 300. For example, a profile where the equipment in theexperience 300 (e.g., the set lights 302, audio equipment 306,environmental components 314, and animated FIG. 312 ) is determined tooperate according to specification and expectation may be designated asan A profile. However, a profile where the equipment in the experience300 is determined to operate outside of specification and expectation,the profile may be designated as a B profile, C profile, D profile, andso on.

As such, the one or more electronic devices 102 may determine whetherthe experience 300 is operating properly according to specification andexpectation. Through the cycling and processing passes of the experience300, profile thresholds may be determined outside of which the profilemay receive a different designation, but within which a designation mayremain even if deviation in the aspects and characteristics of theexperience 300 are detected. For example, if during operation of theexperience 300 the system 100 detects that the set lights 302 are dimmerthan expected due to a technical error, the system 100 may determinethis to be a deviation from the A profile, but not a deviation thatexceeds the A profile threshold. Under these conditions, it may bedetermined that the experience 300 is operating properly. However, ifthe animated FIG. 312 experiences a technical issue that renders theanimated FIG. 312 completely immobile, this may cause the profile of theexperience 300 to be designated a B profile, C profile, and so on.

Depending on the parameters and boundaries designated by a user of thesystem 100, a B profile or C profile may be determined to be an improperoperation of the experience 300, and thus, the one or more electronicdevices 102 may determine that a corrective action is to be performed.The corrective action may include performing automated maintenance onmalfunctioning equipment, such as sending a command causing theexperience 300 to adjust current to a malfunctioning set light 302outputting less brightness than expected or a command causing theexperience 300 to adjust other equipment to account for malfunctioningequipment (e.g., adjusting the brightness of another set light 302 tocompensate for the malfunctioning set light 302). The corrective actionmay also include sending an alert (e.g., to an alert panel 308)informing the technical operators of the malfunction. If the malfunctionrequires urgent action, the one or more electronic devices 102 may sendan urgent alert to the technical operators and cause the experience 300to stop or pause operation.

The one or more electronic devices 102 may learn to identify known andnew anomalies as well as anticipate anomalies that may occur in thefuture. For example, if the one or more electronic devices 102 determinethat the set lights 302 gradually experience a reduction in brightnessprior to a bulb burning out, the one or more electronic devices 102 maytrigger an alert to the technical operators if the one or moreelectronic devices 102 detects that a set light 302 has graduallyexperienced a reduction in brightness and may transmit in the alert anestimation of how long it may take for the bulb of the set light 302 toburn out. In this way, the system 100 may enable predictive maintenancewithin the experience 300 and may permit the technical operators to takecorrective action prior to a malfunction, preserving the quality of theexperience 300.

The system 100 may also be able to apply machine learning (ML) performedon the experience 300 to a different experience. The learned data fromthe experience 300 may be extrapolated and retargeted to anothersufficiently similar experience by implementing a deep learning processknown as transfer learning. Transfer learning allows for a sufficientlytrained ML model to be repurposed and reused to make observations orpredictions about a different but related problem set. For example,using the data learned about the operating characteristics of the setlights 302 in the experience 300, the ML engine 114 may be able toidentify and anticipate issues that may be experienced by set lights ina different experience.

In certain embodiments, the experience 300 may utilize multiplelocalized sensor networks that are not linked together via a singlenetwork. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a system 400 of unlinkedlocalized sensors networks, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. Sensors 404A, 404B, 404C, and 404D (collectively referred toas the sensors 404) may be various sensors in the experience 300. Thesesensors may communicate data to a communication hub 402 (e.g., theelectronic device 102). The communication hub 402 may analyze the sensordata from the sensors 404 and send commands to the sensors 404 or toother components within the experience 300. The communication hub 402may include a transceiver 403 (or separate receiver and transmitter) tocommunicate with other devices. Additionally, the sensors 404 maycommunicate amongst themselves. The communication hub 402 and thesensors 404 may constitute a sensor network 406. Similarly, acommunication hub 410 may receive signals (e.g., via a transceiver 411or separate receiver and transmitter) from a device 412 (e.g., theanimated FIG. 312 or the ride vehicle 310) having sensors 414A and 414B(collectively referred to as the sensors 414). The communication hub410, the device 412, and the sensors 414 within the device 412 mayconstitute a sensor network 416. The communication 410 hub maycommunicate with the device 412 and the sensors 414. The communicationhub 402 may communicate with the communication hub 410 using a wirelessconnection 420 via transceivers 403 and 411. The wireless connection 420may include high-speed signals (e.g., between 60 GHz and 80 GHz) whilethe sensor networks 416 and 406 are distinct networks. For instance, thecommunication hub 402 may include/utilize an access point to provide thewireless connection 420 between the communication hub 402 and thecommunication hub 410.

In contrast to FIG. 3 , in certain embodiments the system 100 mayutilize an interconnected system of localized sensor networks. Aspreviously discussed, in certain embodiments the system 100 may utilizeand report data to other systems within the experience 300. FIG. 4 is ablock diagram illustrating a network 500 of interconnected localizedsensors and devices, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. In FIG. 4 , a central communication hub 502 may collect datafrom and communicate with sensors 504A, 504B, and 504C (collectivelyreferred to as the sensors 504). For instance, the central communicationhub 502 may include a transceiver 503 (or separate receiver andtransmitter) to communicate with other devices. The sensors 504 may alsocommunicate with each other. Certain sensors (e.g., 504A) may act assmaller communication hubs for other sensors (e.g., 504B), collectinginformation and sending commands to the other sensors. A localcommunication hub 506 may also collect data from the sensors 504 as wellas from a device 508 equipped with a sensor 510A, a sensor 501B, and asensor 510C. In this way, the device 508 and the sensors 510 within thedevice 508 may communicate with each other and with the sensors 504. Thelocal communication hub 506 may include one or more transceivers 507 (orseparate receivers and transmitters) to communicate with other devices.For instance, the central communication hub 502 may also communicatewith the local communication hub 506 via wired and/or wirelesscommunication (e.g., WiFi, via a cellular network, and so on) usingrespective transceivers 503 and 507. For instance, the wirelesscommunication may include high-speed signals (e.g., 60 GHz-80 GHzsignals). While only one local communication hub 506 is shown, it shouldbe understood that there may be any number of local communication hubsin the system 100. Further, a local communication hub may be assigned toan area of the experience 300, particular equipment of the experience300 (e.g., the animated character 312), the vehicle, or a subsystem ofparticular equipment (e.g., a set of actuators within the animatedcharacter 312).

Utilizing the network 500, a parameter detected in one sensor (e.g.,504B) in the network 500 may be communicated to other sensors (e.g.,504A, 504C, 510) in the network 500 as well as to other equipment (e.g.,the device 508) such as controllers in the animated FIGS. 312 or doors,the environmental components 314, and so on. For example, if the vehicleconnects to a certain communication hub/access point, the experience 300or scene may initialize. Additionally or alternatively, if a rise intemperature above a threshold is detected by the temperature sensor 304,the temperature sensor 304 may communicate the rise in temperature overthe network 500 to cause one or more fans to activate, to adjust asetting of a central air-conditioning unit, and/or to reduce the outputof certain heat-producing elements within the experience 300 (e.g.,flames).

Returning to FIG. 1 , in certain embodiments, training data may beaugmented with three-dimensional (3D) (e.g., via a 3D modeling engine116) information about the experience 300 being observed. By informingthe system 100 of the global positions of sensors in the sensor network120 relative to known computer-aided or temporally changing 3D data,repositioning, removing, or adding additional sensors, devices, andother equipment may be permitted without retraining from certainobservation angles. For example, given the pixel data of an image sensor128 and knowledge of where particular pixels align with the 3D set, theimage sensor 128 may be retrained from a new angle, shortening oreliminating the time normally required to add, remove, move or remountnew image sensors. Thus, by using an interconnected network of sensors,devices, and equipment such as the network 500 depicted in FIG. 4 alongwith the transfer learning processes previously discussed and the 3Dmodeling engine 116, the system 100 may reduce or eliminate the timeand/or processing power normally required in adding, removing, moving,and/or reconfiguring sensors, devices, and equipment.

Additionally, using the 3D modeling engine 116, the system 100 may beable to detect and correct certain positional errors of the equipment orsensors. For example, if the system 100 detects unexpected readings froma positioning sensor 134 and/or an orientation sensor 136, the systemmay determine that the vehicle is misaligned, and send feedback to thesystem 100 enabling the system 100 to correct the position of thevehicle.

FIG. 5 is a graphical view of an attraction 450 that includes multiplescenes or experiences within the attraction. As illustrated, theattraction 450 includes a first group of vehicles 452A, 452B, and 452C(collectively referred to as vehicles 452) and a second group ofvehicles 454A, 454B, and 454C (collectively referred to as vehicles454). The vehicles 452 travel on a first track 456 of the attraction450, and the vehicles 454 travel on a second track 457 of the attraction450. Although two tracks are shown, some embodiments of the attraction450 may have a different number of tracks, such as 1, 3, 4, or moretracks. Additionally or alternatively, some embodiments of theattraction 450 may be traversed without tracks. For instance, a ridermay be able to at least partially control where the respective vehicletravels until an elapsed time has passed and the vehicle travels to anext location (e.g., a finish line).

As previously discussed, the vehicles 452 and 454 may transfer data toand from the vehicles 452 and 454 using high-speed wireless signals(e.g., 60 GHz, 80 GHz, or any frequency between). For instance, thevehicles 452 and/or 454 may connect to inner access points 458A, 458B,458C, 458D, 458E, and 458F (collectively referred to as inner accesspoints 458). Additionally or alternatively, the vehicles 452 and/or 454may connect to outer access points 460A, 460B, 460C, 460D, 460E, 460F,460G, 460H, and 4601 (collectively referred to as outer access points460). Although the illustrated attraction has a different number ofinner access points 458 and outer access points 460, some embodimentsmay include the same number of inner access points 458 as outer accesspoints 460. Furthermore, in some embodiments, at least some accesspoints may be located between the first track 456 and the second track457. In some embodiments, the vehicles 452 may connect only to inneraccess points 458 while the vehicles 454 connect only to outer accesspoints 460. To enforce using dedicated access points per track, theinner access points 458 may operate using a first frequency (e.g., 62GHz) while the outer access points 460 may operate using a secondfrequency (e.g., 75 GHz).

In some locations, access points 458 and/or 460 may be within range ofeach other even with the limited range available when usinghigh-frequency signals (e.g., 60 GHz or greater). To further reduce thelikelihood of interference or crosstalk between access points, walls462, 464, 466, 468, 470 and 472 may be strategically placed throughoutthe attraction. Additionally or alternatively, the locations for theaccess points may be planned relative to wall locations in theattraction. Furthermore, some scenes in the attraction may have aclamshell door between scenes through which the vehicles 452 and/or 454may pass through when travelling through the attraction. In theseembodiments, the computing device on the ride vehicle may transitionfrom one access point to another access point as/after the doors close.Furthermore, the wireless signals from the vehicle to the access pointsmay be used to control when the clamshell door is opened and when theclamshell door is closed.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a process 480 utilizing wirelesscommunications in high-frequency bands. As used herein, high-frequencybands are bands above 56.2 GHz, at and including 60 GHz, above 60 GHz,between 60 GHz and 80 GHz, or at and including 80 GHz. One or moresensors of the attraction vehicle captures one or more parameters (block482). For example, the one or more parameters may include a location ofthe attraction vehicle, an orientation of the attraction vehicle, aspeed of the attraction vehicle, proximity of other attraction vehicles,parameters in a scene of the attraction, and the like. A computingdevice/wireless transmitter of the attraction vehicle transmitsinformation related to the one or more parameters wirelessly usingoutgoing signals in high-frequency bands (block 484). The computingdevice/wireless receiver of the attraction vehicle may also wirelesslyreceive incoming information in the high-frequency bands (block 486). Insome embodiments, the transmitted information and the incominginformation may utilize different high-frequency bands. Additionally oralternatively, a track on which the attraction vehicle is assigned,attached to, and/or traveling may correspond to a particular frequency,such that a first attraction vehicle on a first track transmits using afirst high-frequency band and a second attraction vehicle on a secondtrack transmits using a second high-frequency band that is differentthan the first high-frequency band. As previously discussed, theincoming and outgoing high-frequency bands may be different. Forinstance, the first attraction vehicle on the first track transmitsusing the first high-frequency band and receives using a thirdhigh-frequency band. Similarly, the second attraction vehicle on thesecond track transmits using the second high-frequency band and receivesusing a fourth high-frequency band. In some embodiments, the thirdhigh-frequency band is different than the fourth high-frequency band. Insome embodiments, the first, second, third, and fourth high-frequencybands may be different from each other with no overlap of frequencies.

The attraction vehicle may operate based at least in part on theincoming information (block 488). For example, the attraction vehiclemay change speed or stop based on the incoming information. Forinstance, the incoming information may indicate that an attractionvehicle ahead has stopped, that a clamshell door is malfunctioning, orthat another malfunction or maintenance issue has occurred. Additionallyor alternatively, the attraction vehicle may present information on itsdisplay based at least in part on the incoming information.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a process 600 for a controller computingdevice and/or network to wirelessly communicate with the attractionvehicle. The controller computing device may be a computing devicesimilar to the electronic device 102 discussed previously. Thecontroller computing device/network receives information from one ormore attraction vehicles using signals in a high-frequency band (block602). For example, the information may include a location of anattraction vehicle, an orientation of an attraction vehicle, a speed ofan attraction vehicle, proximity between attraction vehicles, parametersin a scene of the attraction, other sensor values, and the like. Signalsfrom different attraction vehicles may be received using differenthigh-frequency bands. For example, attraction vehicles on a first trackmay use a first high-frequency band while attraction vehicles on asecond track may use a second high-frequency band. The computingdevice/network may control one or more objects using the receivedinformation (block 604). For example, the computing device/network mayutilize an access point to send signals in one of the high-frequencybands to control a speed of/stop movement of an attraction vehicle, tochange orientation of at least a portion (e.g., the seats) of theattraction vehicle, to control aspects (e.g., video, lighting, animatedsequences, etc.) in the attraction vehicle or of a scene, and the like.The communication to the attraction vehicle may utilize a differentfrequency band than is used for communication from the attractionvehicle. Additionally or alternatively, the computing device/network maycontrol one or more objects using 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, 5 GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,IEEE 802.15.4, or other wireless conventional standards. Furthermore, insome embodiments, the computing device/network may control one or moreobjects using wired connections, such as Ethernet. For example, suchconventional wireless or wired connections may be used to controlobjects with stationary locations, such as video displays, animatedobjects, lights, doors, and the like.

While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appendedclaims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fallwithin the true spirit of the invention.

The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and appliedto material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature thatdemonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are notabstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claimsappended to the end of this specification contain one or more elementsdesignated as “means for (perform)ing (a function) . . . ” or “step for(perform)ing (a function) . . . ”, it is intended that such elements areto be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claimscontaining elements designated in any other manner, it is intended thatsuch elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

1. An attraction system, comprising: an attraction vehicle comprising:one or more sensors configured to measure one or more parameterspertaining to the attraction system; a network interface communicativelycoupled to the one or more sensors and configured to transmitinformation related to the one or more parameters wirelessly usingoutgoing signals in a first high-frequency band and to receive incominginformation at the attraction vehicle wirelessly using incoming signalsusing a second high-frequency band; and a controller configured tooperate the attraction vehicle based at least in part on the incominginformation.
 2. The attraction system of claim 1, wherein the firsthigh-frequency band is different from the second high-frequency band. 3.The attraction system of claim 1, wherein the first high-frequency bandand the second high-frequency band at least partially overlap.
 4. Theattraction system of claim 1, wherein the attraction comprises aplurality of tracks, and the frequencies of the first high-frequencyband and the second high-frequency band are based at least in part onwhich track of the plurality of tracks to which the attraction vehicleis assigned.
 5. The attraction system of claim 1, wherein the one ormore sensors comprises an orientation sensor, and the one or moreparameters comprises an orientation of at least a portion of theattraction vehicle.
 6. The attraction system of claim 5, wherein theorientation of the at least a portion of the attraction vehiclecomprises an orientation of one or more seats of the attraction vehicle.7. The attraction system of claim 5, wherein the orientation of the atleast a portion of the attraction vehicle comprises a direction oftravel tracked separately from the orientation of the one or more seatsof the attraction vehicle.
 8. The attraction system of claim 1, whereinthe one or more sensors comprises a location sensor, and the one or moreparameters comprises a location for the attraction vehicle.
 9. Theattraction system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprisesa speedometer, and the one or more parameters comprises a speed for theattraction vehicle.
 10. The attraction system of claim 1, wherein theone or more sensors comprises a proximity sensor, and the one or moreparameters comprises a proximity of the attraction vehicle to otherobjects in the attraction system.
 11. The attraction system of claim 10,wherein the other objects comprise doors in the attraction system orother attraction vehicles in the attraction system.
 12. The attractionsystem of claim 1, wherein the incoming information comprises controlsignals that are based at least in part on the transmitted informationrelated to the one or more parameters.
 13. The attraction system ofclaim 12, wherein operating the attraction vehicle comprises stopping orslowing the attraction vehicle based on information from anotherattraction vehicle or another sensor in the attraction system.
 14. Anattraction system, comprising: a network interface configured to receiveand transmit high-speed signals in a high-frequency band from anattraction vehicle in an attraction; and one or more processorsconfigured to control one or more objects in the attraction bytransmitting a control signal based at least in part on the high-speedsignals transmitted from the attraction vehicle.
 15. The attractionsystem of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors comprise aprogrammable logic controller (PLC) or aproportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.
 16. The attractionsystem of claim 14, wherein the high-frequency band comprisesfrequencies greater than 60 GHz.
 17. The attraction system of claim 16,wherein the high-frequency band comprises frequencies between 60 GHz and80 GHz.
 18. The attraction system of claim 14, wherein controlling theone or more objects comprises slowing or stopping or rotating anotherattraction vehicle in the attraction by sending the control signal tothe other attraction vehicle via the high-frequency band.
 19. Theattraction system of claim 14, wherein controlling the one or moreobjects comprises slowing or stopping or rotating another attractionvehicle in the attraction by sending the control signal to the otherattraction vehicle via an additional high-frequency band, the attractionvehicle traverses a first track in the attraction that corresponds tothe high-frequency band, and the other attraction vehicle traverses asecond track in the attraction that corresponds to the additionalhigh-frequency band.
 20. A method of attraction system operation,comprising: measuring one or more parameters of operation of anattraction vehicle travelling within an attraction using one or moreelectronic sensors on the attraction vehicle; transmitting, from atransmitter on the attraction vehicle, outgoing information from theattraction vehicle to a network of access points, wherein the outgoinginformation is related to the one or more parameters and is transmittedwirelessly using outgoing signals in a first high-frequency band;receiving, at a receiver of the attraction vehicle, incoming informationat the attraction vehicle wirelessly using incoming signals using asecond high-frequency band, wherein the incoming information is based atleast in part on signals from another attraction vehicle in theattraction that are transmitted wirelessly to the network of accesspoints; and operating, using a controller, the attraction vehicle basedat least in part on the incoming information and the one or moreparameters.